This man's death is indeed a tragedy, but it is not the job of Bay City workers or officials to check on him or knock on his door when he doesn't pay his bills. As long as they left him enough electrical capacity to run his furnace and nominal appiances and informed him on how to reset the limiter on his meter they were quite reasonable. If you insist that someone is to blame consider that the man's family should have been the ones looking in on him. The article I read spoke of at least one nephew who lives in the area. If the man had dimentia (or even if he didn't) why is a 93 year old man left alone in winter without any family of friends checking on his well being for days at a time? Admittedly there may be a good answer to that question and this may be just one of those sad things that happens, but I'm sick of this idea that it's the government's job to take care of us. No, it's our job to take care of our own.

Dear Ben [Mr. Dover?];

Your suggestion that we need to look out for our own is exactly what I recommended in my first posting on this issue.

More ...

But, if city worker's hooked up a limiter in the middle of winter to the home of an elderly single man and they didn't:

1. explain to him that it's there
2. explain to him how it works
3. explain to him how to turn it back on when it shuts your electricity off [which they are supposed to do, but neighbors in this case say they didn't]
4. make sure he understands what they are saying so that it's safe to leave him there in the middle of winter. [neighbors don't believe the City did this either]
......then, I think Bay City failed Marvin Schur.

As far as family, he was a widower and he and his wife had no children.

For the citizens of Bay City, I think your last comment is absolutely correct, when the Bay City places it's citizens in harm's way, "it's our job to take care of our own".

-Tim Smith

I have read and read about this, it makes me a little sick to my stomache that everyone is passing the buck. Someone is responsible for Mr. Schurs death, its just a matter of someone saying they screwed up or dropped the ball.
Mr. Schur was WWII vet, he fought for the freedom these people are sitting and enjoying.. but they will not even give him enough respect, even after death, to say that it was wrong.
Yes maybe his neighbors, or nephew could have checked on him a few times a day, but then the person who was sent out to put the limiter on could have made a point to explain it to him, had the person done that he/she would have seen this was a 93 yr old man and tried to get him some help, the electric company could have seen that he had paid his bills on time for the past 50 yrs, and maybe tried to find out from him what was going on.. because after 50 yrs of service to him they should have known that he was elderly.. not to mention that would have been customer care..to look at his history and see it was paid on time for 50 yrs and suddenly not for 4 months.. how about some reward for paying on time for 50 yrs, and a little consideration??
I hope that everyone involved is proud of themselves, they killed a 93 yr old man, who fought for their rights to sit on their butts in thier comfy offices and decide if he was going to have electric or not.. they can continue to place blame on the community or whoever, one day they will have to answer to this to a higher power.
I think his life was worth more than $1100, appearently they did not.
Mr. Marvin Schur you sound like a brave, proud man. Thank you for fighting for my right to be able to say what I think. I hope you are dancing with your wife in heaven.

If you're angry about Marvin Schur you can contact Bay City and let it be known. There is contact information for them in this video:

This man served his country and his government in World War II as a medic, of all things! He likely endured exploding artillery shells, bullets whizzing by, his buddies screaming in agony, and was even wounded himself (so I've read), all to help save lives. Even his frugal lifestyle in order to contribute to the saving of more lives demonstrates the unselfish values this man held.

Whoever says that the government shouldn't be responsible for taking care of this man should be ashamed! Whoever points the finger at Mr. Schur's closest living relative should be ashamed! This very man may have saved the life of your father, uncle, grandfather, or some other family member who served in the war! As far as I'm concerned that makes Marvin Schur EVERYONE'S responsibility! This should NOT have happened! He should NOT have died this way!
It's a shame that the law comes down hard on someone for neglecting a pet, especially if that pet dies as a result, but Mr. Schur's death results in the electric company considering reviewing it's policies. What the h*ll is wrong with people these days?

Well said, H Sparks. I agree with you completely. The "Great Generation's" heroes were regular people with extraordinary guts who made sacrifices that are hard for us to fathom today. Mr. Schur and our other veterans deserve much better. (My grandfathers served, my father served and my brother is still in Iraq. I hope we take better care of them and their fellow vets when they need it.)

America pays all kinds of lip service to celebrating and supporting the troops abroad and at home, but when it comes to paying for their health care (Walter Reed), mental health treatment, or providing elder care (what was Mr. Schur to do, "get a job?"), too many of them are told to pound sand.

i too, agree, that Mr Schru's death and the way it happened is a tragedy beyond words...how dare anyone try to blame anyone else for this senseless outcome...and i too, thank Mr. Schur, for the commitment and labor he demonstrated as a vetern in the war--how dare you bay city officials to try and push the blame for this hero's senseless death on any one else!!! i hope this comes back to bite you big time in the butts--never mind the question, "what if this was a member or your family that this happened too, which in reality it was if you stop, put your self righteos pride aside and think about it for a minute"---i'm so angry to learn about this unforunate and agin senseless outcome that it makes me want to puke--God, what in the world has this world come to?